We have ‘”Wow” moments in the workshop every now and then. Some “wow” moments are more impactful than others, when a customer brings in something which has a personal, and sometimes visceral, impact on us.
Such an impact was experienced when we first saw the signed print of a view of Table Mountain through prison bars, brought into us recently. The artist, of course, was Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (1918-2013).
The signed print in its new frame…
As you can see from the photo above, we framed the signed print using a combination of an ocre coloured inner mount and a blue frame to emphasise the bars of the cell and Table mountain in the background. Due to its significance we glazed it with Artglass UV to protect it from deteriorating in sunlight.
Called “The Window”, this view of Table Mountain represented a hope of freedom to Robben Island’s most famous prisoner. In fact, he would not have been able to see the iconic mountain from his cell, but for him it represented his feelings for the beauty of his land and the longing for liberty that he endured during his 27 years of incarceration. It was drawn in 2002-2003.
Part of a series (“My Robben Island Series 1”), “The Window” belongs to a group of sketches showing his time on the infamous prison island. Others in the series are ‘The Cell’; ‘The Artist’s Motivation’; ‘The Lighthouse’; ‘The Church’ and ‘The Harbour’ (not shown here).
Nobel Peace Laureate Mandela was imprisoned on Robben Island in the winter of 1964. He spent 18 of his 27 years of incarceration on the island, during which he was confined to a small cell with the floor for his bed and a bucket for a lavatory. His days consisted of hard labour in a quarry. The work in the glaring sunlight, coupled with the bright limestone environment, permanently affected his eyesight. At this time he was allowed one visitor a year (for thirty minutes), and to receive one letter every six months.
From this desolate place he drew on his enviable strengths of personality and creativity, and emerged one of the greatest leaders the world has seen.
We were delighted to work on this commission – it has been a complete privilege to frame.
Tilly